This invention relates to a method of taking countermeasures against computer viruses (hereinafter referred to as viruses) in a storage system that activates a computer by obtaining an operating system (hereinafter referred to as “OS”) or the like via a network.
The importance of security measures in computer systems is lately becoming ever higher as threats to computer environments such as viruses and worms increase on the Internet. Computer users fight against viruses by applying a security patch to the computer's OS and applications, updating the current virus definition file, and executing a virus check. In particular, as a countermeasure against a new strain of virus, users need to update the current virus definition file and execute a virus check immediately after notified of a new virus definition file being available. However, some users find it difficult to execute the above operation without fail.
A storage-centric system has been proposed as a system that enables a system administrator to implement security measures as those described above in a unitary manner. A storage-centric system stores an OS and an application that are used by many users in an external storage system (hereinafter, a system containing a storage apparatus is called a storage system). As a result, a patch is applied to every computer in the system when an administrator of the system applies the patch to the OS and application aggregated in a storage apparatus of the external storage system. It also enables the system administrator to update security information and execute a virus check for each computer unitarily.
JP 2004-152251 A discloses a method in which a server stores the latest version of security information in each storage area in a storage apparatus that is used by a computer when security information such as a virus definition file is updated in the server. This method makes it possible to keep security information in a storage area in a storage apparatus that is used by a computer up to the latest version irrespective of whether the computer is in operation or is shut down.